154 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



preponderated at the other. The birds had been very industrious 

 in the collecting of material — for the pieces of cloth, wire, and 

 tea-chest lining must have been carried from the homestead, a 

 distance of over half a mile. The overseer living at the house 

 says the birds are often seen about, and last season they were very 

 persistent in eating the fruit of a grape-vine growing over the 

 verandah. We searched diligently for a nest of the Bower-birds, 

 but were unsuccessful, although in a bull- oak near by there was 

 what appeared to be the remains of an old one. 



In another bull-oak tree in the same clump a Brown Hawk, 

 Hieracidea orientalis, was incubating a clutch of two eggs. Another 

 hawk's nest had been examined the previous day. It was situated 

 in a large gum tree out on the edge of plain. It contained 

 one egg and one newly-hatched bird ; the latter was clothed in 

 bright rufous-coloured down. It is peculiar that in this dry 

 district the Brown Hawk should only lay two eggs in a clutch. 

 The diurnal birds of prey observed during our trip were three 

 kinds, viz. : — Wedge-tailed Eagle, Uroaetus audax, the Brown 

 Hawk, and the Kestrel. Night birds were represented by a large 

 owl and the Owlet Nightjar, JEgotheles novce-hoUandice. Returning 

 home one evening the large owl was observed on a dead tree, 

 showing up conspicuously against the fading light. But it would 

 not allow of approach within gunshot, although I followed it 

 until I could no longer see it in the dusk. From its size we 

 conjectured it must have been the Winking Owl, JVinox 

 connivens. The bird had evidently been disturbed while feeding, 

 for as it flew from tree to tree, a reptile (either a lizard or a 

 small snake) of about 15 inches in length was dangling from its 

 claws. 



Another bird whose identity was not definitely settled was a 

 small grey hawk similar in appearance to the Grey Falcon, Falco 

 hypoleuciis. Only one specimen was seen. It was a very quick 

 flyer, and as it flew some small birds in the vicinity set up their 

 alarm notes, as they will do when there are suspicious birds 

 about. 



The Wedge-tailed Eagle is a destructive bird during spring- 

 time, when it is responsible for a percentage of lambs killed. On 

 Pine Plains station, until quite recently, 2s. 6d. was given for 

 every eagle's head. The birds are easily poisoned ; we saw the 

 result of one couj), where a fox caught in a trap was baited with 

 strychnine. Within ten yards of the carcass were the bodies of a 

 pair of eagles. The Raven, Corone australis, which is found in 

 hundreds about the plains, is also very destructive during the 

 lambing season. Two old eagles' aeries were noticed. One was 

 situated in the broken top of a pine tree, while the other was in a 

 large-sized Mallee bush, and was not more than 12 feet from the 

 ground. But from this latter nest the sitting bird would have a 



